This patent generally relates to electrical computers, telecommunications, cable networks and, more particularly, to video on-demand services.
Prior art video services all have a common problem. These prior art video services do not truly provide “on-demand” movies, music, games and other media. Video rental services, such as BLOCKBUSTER®, require the customer to inconveniently travel to the rental store to select and to return movies, games, and music (BLOCKBUSTER® is a registered trademark of Blockbuster Inc., 1201 Elm Street, Dallas, Tex. 75270). A newer video service allows the customer to select movies via the Internet, and the customer's selected movies are then mailed to the customer—often several days later. Another new video service utilizes a special set-top box that stores pre-loaded movies. A terrestrial broadcast technology allows the service provider to broadcast new movies to the set-top box. Although the special set-top box is periodically updated with new movies, the customer, again, cannot truly make “on-demand” movies selections. This terrestrial broadcast technology, however, requires a contractual spectrum agreement with a local broadcaster, and this service is only available in limited markets.
Cable and satellite service providers also offer video services. These cable/satellite services, however, are usually not truly “on-demand” services. The cable/satellite service provider selects the movies and schedules programming times. The customer is not able to select the movie of their choice, and the customer must view the movie at the scheduled program time. Only a very few customers receive true “on-demand” video service, and these customers must have a cable/satellite service that provides both analog and digital content to a set-top box. Because both analog and digital content must be provided, few cable/satellite customers have access to this infrastructure.
There is, accordingly, a need in the art for methods and systems of providing “on-demand” video services that allow a customer to select what they watch and when they watch it.